Hello, I’m Laura.

I’m a Play Therapist, SandStory Therapist, Circle of Security Parenting Programme Facilitator, Children’s Yoga Teacher and the person behind Playminded.

I’m originally from South Wales and made the big move to London at 21. After becoming a mum, my family and I later relocated from London to the beautiful Chiltern Hills.

For more than 19 years, I have worked with children and young people across a variety of settings, including schools, nurseries, charities and psychological support services within hospitals.

My journey into Play Therapy

I am a true advocate of the power that play holds in children’s lives. This belief first ignited my passion for training as a Play Therapist at the University of Roehampton, where I completed my MA in Play Therapy.

My educational background is in Psychology, where I specialised in child development as part of my BA (Hons) at London South Bank University, deepening my understanding of child development, the mind and behaviour.

Over the years, I have continued to develop my practice through further training, including the Circle of Security Parenting Programme and SandStory Therapy.

This has encouraged an ongoing curiosity about the child’s world - trying to understand their experiences through their lens, while also considering the experiences of the grown-ups around them. What might the child be communicating or needing? What might be happening for the grown-up in that moment? And how might each of their experiences shape the relationship between them?

At the heart of my therapeutic work

Central to my work is the trusting relationship I build with each child and young person. I believe that healing begins when a child or young person feels safe, accepted and truly understood.

I pride myself on creating a safe and nurturing therapeutic space where trust and connection can develop, giving children and young people the freedom to explore and express themselves in ways that feel right for them and at their own pace.

My role is to provide the safety and support that allows this process to unfold. Guided by the individual child or young person, my therapeutic work can also incorporate breath work, mindfulness, movement and different ways of supporting regulation, where appropriate.

This can offer opportunities to notice and become curious about what is happening in their minds and bodies, and to explore different tools and resources they may find helpful.

Through my therapeutic work, I aim to support wellbeing, healing and growth, while offering opportunities for children and young people to develop skills and resources they can draw upon both now and in the future.

Becoming a mum & another side of play

Alongside my professional journey, becoming a mum brought another, very personal, perspective to play, movement, connection and the everyday experiences we share with children.

My daughter loves to move, especially after a day at nursery, and with my own love of yoga, we naturally began finding little ways to move, play and Pause together.

Sometimes these moments are full of movement and laughter; sometimes they are quieter. Most importantly, they are something we genuinely enjoy together.

This led me to train as a Children’s Yoga Teacher, bringing together my love of yoga and movement with something that had already been at the heart of my work for many years - play.

Playminded Pause

From those experiences, Playminded Pause began to take shape - bringing together yoga, movement and play in shared experiences for children and the grown-ups around them.

It is not therapy. It is a different space with a different purpose, shaped by my experience of working with children and by something my daughter and I genuinely enjoy together.

Today, Playminded brings together my established therapeutic work with children and young people and the newer chapter of Playminded Pause.

They are distinct experiences with different purposes, connected by values that have remained important throughout my work - play, curiosity, relationships and connection.